


Hearts on Fire

by aesthetic_shitpost



Series: we could all be the best kind of friends (jatp polyam fics!) [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuddling & Snuggling, Friends to Lovers, Friends to Lovers to Friends to Lovers again, Getting Back Together, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Making Out, Multi, No beta we die like Sunset Curve, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Truth or Dare, bc luke and alex broke up before the events of the fic, but don't worry it all ends well, can't believe i forgot that tag, i guess? but also, see?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:42:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28946103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aesthetic_shitpost/pseuds/aesthetic_shitpost
Summary: Alex gets dared to kiss someone.He freezes. He and Luke had just broken up, and while he wouldn’t mind getting to kiss him again, it seems like that would just cause more problems. So he picks Reggie. They’re friends, right? What’s a little kissing between friends?He didn’t expect Reggie to be so…goodat it.-sunset curve ot3 ftw babey! here's some boys pining and angsting and getting together and kissing
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex Mercer/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: we could all be the best kind of friends (jatp polyam fics!) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124087
Comments: 18
Kudos: 130





	Hearts on Fire

**Author's Note:**

> what's up folks! this is my first fic in this fandom! i love this show and i'm very excited to get my arospec polyam hands all over everything >:3
> 
> title is from finally free. hope you enjoy!

It’s a warm night in Los Angeles when the boys of Sunset Curve go to their first real high school party. Bobby had been the one to get them invited by virtue of being a lifelong neighbor and friend to one of the cheerleaders, and even though it’s his first party too, he’s acting insufferably smug about it. As the oldest in the band, he’s the only one who can legally drive, so he picks them all up so they can carpool, though he’s not too happy about being the designated driver for the night.

Alex is the last one to get picked up, and Reggie has already claimed the passenger seat, so he has to clamber into the cramped backseat of Bobby’s beat-up old car and squeeze in next to Luke.  _ Great.  _

Luke immediately scoots as far away from him as he can get within the constraints of his seat belt and looks out the window. Alex tries and fails to repress a sigh. 

Two weeks ago, Alex had broken up with Luke, and it’s still a little weird between them. Alex had told him before practice one day that he thought they should break up because relationships in bands never end well — just look at the Beatles or Fleetwood Mac. (This fear wasn’t completely unfounded — Alex had noticed that Reggie and Bobby weren’t playing as well ever since he and Luke had started dating. Reggie didn’t sing with Luke as much, and when he did, he never got as close or had the same passion as he used to. Bobby was a little harder to read, but he was more likely to mess up chords, and he went from moving around on stage just a little bit — already noticeably less than the other boys — to not moving around at all.)

To be honest, Alex hadn’t really wanted to break up with Luke, but the band was the most important thing to both of them, so he knew he would understand. And the two of them had been best friends for nearly a decade. They could go back to only being best friends again, he had reasoned. How hard could it be?

Pretty hard, it turns out.

He sits through Luke’s silence, listening to Reggie and Bobby talk excitedly about the party up front. They’re talking about all the people that are gonna be there, all the classic high school party drinking games they’ll probably get to play, all the girls they’re gonna get to kiss.

Alex sneaks a glance over at Luke at that one. He’s just in time to catch Luke looking at him. They stare at each other for a second, caught, before Luke breaks and goes back to staring out the window, a faint blush dusting over his cheeks.

They get there. The party’s fine. It’s a little scary, especially to Alex, but as long as he sticks by his friends, he figures he’ll be fine. He’s not used to seeing people drinking and dancing and  _ partying _ all over like this, and it’s a little unfathomable to him. How can all these people just… do that? Just be uninhibited and free from their thoughts? It seems like an unreachable fantasy to him.

A few hours in, they’re all in the kitchen when a bunch of other people come in that Alex sort of recognizes and drunkenly exclaim that  _ they should play truth or dare, come on, we need more people! _ The boys share a tentative glance, and then are pulled along (quite literally — someone had grabbed Bobby and Reggie’s hands and Luke and Alex followed like they had been holding hands as well) as they find somewhere to sit down.

“Alright!” Cheers a bubbly girl. Alex thinks he recognizes her from his math class. “Let’s do this! Matt, truth or dare?”

And with that, the game is off. Matt gets dared to do a freestyle rap. Lauren admits that she thinks her chemistry teacher is hot. Megan has to let someone go through her phone and pick the worst selfie to post. Brian tells a very strange story about the weirdest dream he’s ever had. Luke has to eat a raw egg (Alex winces in sympathy for that one). Reggie gets dared to dance for a full minute, and, grinning, gets up and does some horrific cross between twerking and the robot involving stiff, flailing arms and far too much butt-shaking. Alex shakes his head fondly, somehow finding this endearing. 

“This is why we don’t let you dance!” Bobby heckles. Everyone around the circle laughs. He then gets dared to smell Luke’s sweaty armpit. That humbles him right up. Alex is too busy laughing at Bobby’s disgusted face to notice them moving on to another dare, but he sobers quickly when he hears his name being called, and answers “dare” because he’s not about to be the only one who wimps out.

Alex gets dared to kiss someone.

He freezes. He and Luke had just broken up, and while he wouldn’t mind getting to kiss him again, it seems like that would just cause more problems.

His eyes dart around the circle, weighing his options. He doesn’t really want to kiss anyone he doesn’t know, and the only people he really knows here are his bandmates, and Bobby is straight and popular and sitting too far away and Luke is  _ not _ an option, so… he picks Reggie. They’re friends, right? What’s a little kissing between friends?

He didn’t expect Reggie to be so…  _ good _ at it.

They’re already sitting next to each other, so Alex just has to lean over a little bit to get within kissing range. He looks for a moment at Reggie’s face, his pink cheeks and wide smile and bright eyes, and then he closes his eyes and puts his hand on Reggie’s cheek and just  _ goes _ for it.

Reggie meets him in the middle, barely a moment of hesitation. He tilts his head to the side just so and puts his hand in Alex’s hair, and Alex is worked up enough just from that, but then he bites his lip and does this thing with his tongue that just — 

He pulls away flushed and panting. Alex looks at Reggie and he looks back, shock and trepidation and unashamed lust painted across both their faces.

He didn’t think it would be bad, but he didn’t expect to actually like it that much. He didn’t expect to want to do it again.

They’re still staring at each other. Alex glances down and Reggie licks his lips.

He comes back to himself and jerks away, still blushing. He looks to his right and Luke is staring at him with hunger in his eyes. As soon as they make eye contact he flushes and looks away, but Alex knows what he saw. Luke isn’t over him, either. 

And he may have just realized he likes Reggie, too.

_ Oh no, _ he thinks to himself.  _ This is going to be messy, isn’t it? _

-

Reggie finds him later in a dim hallway away from most of the party. Alex had just needed a breather and a moment to process what had happened.

He’s nervous. They both are.

“Hey,” Alex greets him.

“Hey,” Reggie responds. They stand there silently for a bit, listening to the muffled music thudding through the wall.

“Great party, huh?” Reggie says.

“Yeah,” he agrees, even though he doesn’t. “I’m loving all the loud as fuck music.”

“Gotta love that bass, am I right?” Reggie laughs. Alex laughs along.  _ Why is Reggie acting so weird? _ He wonders. Or, well, he has a pretty good guess as to why, but… no, that can’t be it.

Alex looks down and scratches his nose. He can just barely tell though the wall that the song has changed.

“I liked it,” Reggie blurts suddenly.

Alex looks at him curiously, suddenly far too aware of his heart pounding in his chest. “What do you mean?” (He knows what he means. But there can’t be any ambiguity here. Not for him.)

“Earlier,” he says. “When you kissed me.” He swallows, and Alex can’t take his eyes away from the movement of his throat. “I liked it.”

Alex drags his eyes up to meet his friend’s, and he’s pretty sure he’s never seen them this dark. His mouth is dry. “I — I liked it too.”

Reggie smiles, relieved, and takes a step closer to him. “So what now?” 

“Now…” Alex trails off, not sure what to say. His and Luke’s breakup is still a fresh wound, and from what he saw earlier, it might not even be really over. And the whole reason he broke up with Luke — not wanting to ruin the band — is still painfully relevant here. What kind of hypocrite would he be if he did this even after ending things with Luke? 

This is different, though, he rationalizes to himself. With Luke, he was in love. With Reggie, it’s not as deep as all that. It’s not a relationship. It’s just his best friend standing in front of him, promising a good night. And Alex can’t deny it — he wants that. He wants him.

Making up his mind, he reaches out and fists his hands in Reggie’s thin t-shirt, dragging him even closer. “Why don’t we start by doing it again?” Alex smiles, slow and bright, and leans down to kiss Reggie. ( _ The same way you had to lean down to kiss Luke, _ his traitorous brain whispers, and he tries to ignore the fact that apparently all the guys he kisses are the same height.)

Reggie kisses him passionately, just like he had before, only this time there’s not a circle of people watching them. Alex grabs his hips, anchoring himself as his best friend winds his hands into his hair and his tongue into his mouth. They break from the kiss for a moment, gasping, and Reggie pushes Alex lightly, just enough to take a few steps backwards. When his back hits the wall, Reggie gives him a wicked grin offset by the flush of his cheeks. “Alright, Lexi?” He pants.

Alex rolls his eyes. “Come back here.” He pulls Reggie in by his necklace, the oblong pendant fitting perfectly in his hand. Reggie makes a muffled sound of surprise, but quickly gets back into it, pressing his body up against Alex’s as his hands roam. He kisses him with force, hot and fast and  _ so good. _ Alex relishes the feeling of someone else on top of him, pinning him to the wall with such delicious pressure. It hasn’t been that long since he and Luke broke up, but it was still enough time to miss this. And Reggie is a worthy replacement, Alex thinks. Not that Reggie is  _ replacing _ Luke, he still loves Luke and he loves Reggie and they’re both — 

Alex is wrenched away from his thoughts by the sensation of a mouth on his neck, his friend licking and sucking his way down the sensitive skin. Involuntarily, a moan escapes his mouth, and he immediately clamps his lips shut, worried that someone outside of this secluded hallway can hear them. Reggie hums into the curve of his neck and slips his knee in between Alex’s legs. Alex chokes at the feeling, making a strangled noise and only barely resisting the urge to grind down on him. “Reg —”

Reggie glances up at him, eyes dark. “Let me hear you, baby,” he murmurs. 

Alex can only imagine what he must look like, face flushed, lips red from kissing, hair mussed. “The — the party —”

“They can’t hear us,” Reggie says dismissively. “And I seriously doubt we’re the only ones here making out.”

Alex swallows, throat dry. “Okay.” It’s almost startling to hear it stated so bluntly, but Reggie has never been one to beat around the bush. 

“Okay?” Reggie raises an eyebrow. It’s not a sexy thought, but it reminds Alex of when the four of them had watched a YouTube video about the smirk and raised eyebrow every DreamWorks movie poster has and Reggie had done a terrible impression of the trademark DreamWorks face. They couldn’t stop laughing for ten minutes. He smiles at the memory.

“Okay.” 

They dive back into it, Reggie’s knee an unmistakable presence between his thighs. Alex snakes his hand up Reggie’s shirt, feeling the smooth skin of his torso. Reggie moans into his mouth, sending a rush of heat in Alex’s body south. He moves away from his mouth, kissing a path down his jaw to resume his ministrations on his neck. Alex whimpers at the feeling, a louder sound escaping when Reggie starts concentrating his efforts in one area, biting down and then soothing it with his tongue.  _ That will definitely leave a hickey, _ Alex thinks, and he knows he should care more, but it’s really hot, and it feels really good, so sue him, okay? 

Reggie bites down harder, and Alex hisses, instinctively digging his nails into Reggie’s back. Reggie makes a short, surprised sound, but it doesn’t sound bad. Curious, Alex drags a nail down Reggie’s spine, and smirks at the full-body shiver it elicits.

“Oh, like that, do you?” He teases.

Reggie’s face is red, but he just grinds his knee up into Alex’s crotch and says over Alex’s moan, “Like you have any room to talk.”

“You’re playing dirty,” gasps out Alex.

“I think it kinda comes with the territory,” Reggie replies wryly. His lips crash back into Alex’s and they settle into that easy rhythm, just enjoying the slide of their mouths against each other for a while. Alex pulls him in closer, inadvertently increasing the friction against his crotch as they shift positions. Reggie chuckles into his mouth and starts moving his knee in small motions. Alex’s hips twitch.  _ Alright, that’s enough, _ he decides. He puts his hand in Reggie’s hair and is just about to pull his head to the side and leave a hickey on  _ his _ neck when a familiar voice says, “Reggie? Alex?”

_ Bobby? _

A shot of adrenaline hits Alex’s already amped-up nerves, his heart stopping at being caught, and by none other than their friend. They freeze, and Alex immediately pulls away from Reggie’s mouth, his own panicked expression mirrored on his friend’s face. With a sinking feeling in his gut, he slowly turns to face Bobby.

At the end of the hallway stand Bobby, a surprised look on his face, and Luke, a half-step behind him. He can’t make out Luke’s expression, it’s too dark, but the lines of his body are tense. His hands are in his hoodie pockets, but Alex bets that if he could see them, they would clenched into fists. Alex’s stomach drops to his feet.  _ My ex and best friend caught me making out with our other best friend, _ he thinks.  _ And with all the feelings involved… Messy is an understatement. _

Reggie weakly says, “Hey, Bobby. Luke.” His voice is rough. He clears his throat.

“So. This is new,” Bobby says, gesturing at the two of them, still holding each other. Alex hurriedly moves his hands away from Reggie’s body.

Alex laughs weakly. “Yeah.” He’s trying his best not to look at Luke, but he can feel his stare burning into the side of his head. Reggie nods along with him. There’s a pause where no one quite knows what to say and none of them want to acknowledge the Luke-and-Alex-shaped elephant in the room.

Bobby clears his throat. “So, are you, like, toge—” 

“We were just gonna let you know we’re leaving,” Luke interrupts, his voice tight. “You seem busy, though. I’ll be in the car.” He abruptly turns on his heel and marches out.

Alex blinks. Every instinct in his body is telling him to chase after Luke, to explain himself, and after a second of delay he lurches into action, striding across the floor. “Wait —”

Bobby stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you should give him some time to cool off,” he suggests. “I’ll drive him home, talk to him.” 

Alex feels frantic, urgent in his need to clear the air. “But I need to —”   
  
“I don’t think he wants to talk to you right now, Alex.” Bobby’s eyes are kind, understanding, and though Alex doesn’t want to hear it, he knows his friend is right. 

He sags under Bobby’s grip, the fight going out of him. “Okay.” 

Bobby squeezes his shoulder and gives him a reassuring smile. “I hope you guys work it out,” he says, looking past Alex, where Reggie is still standing. With one last glance at the two of them, he leaves.

Alex is rooted to the floor, his mind spinning, already working to figure out every way this could go wrong. He almost forgets about Reggie behind him, but then a hand lands on his shoulder and he turns around, eyes meeting his friend’s.

Reggie still looks rumpled and flushed. His hair is completely messed up, his shirt is wrinkled, and his swollen lips complement the two spots of color high on his cheeks, bright in contrast to his pale skin. He looks nervous, worried about what just happened. Alex can relate.

Alex opens and closes his mouth, trying to figure out what to say.  _ Yeah, I still like him but I think I like you too? We broke up two weeks ago so this is fine? I’m pretty sure he still likes me too and I’m not sure where you fit into this? Don’t worry, the making out part was really hot? _

Reggie beats him to it. “I didn’t mean to — to come between you two.”

“Reggie, no, you didn’t —” Alex sighs and takes a moment to get his thoughts in order. “You’re my best friend, Reggie, and you’re his too, and nothing’s gonna stop that, okay? Nothing.”

“But you — he clearly isn’t over you,” Reggie says. “I don’t wanna get in the way or anything.”

“You wouldn’t get in the way of anything, Reg, even if he isn’t over me,” Alex says firmly. 

“How would I not —”

“Because even if we get back together, we’ll still hang out all the time and eat pizza together and watch bad movies and play gigs and make music! We’ll still be Sunset Curve,” Alex insists. He’s saying it, and he’s sort of believing it, and he’s realizing what an asshole he’d been when he told Luke he thought they should break up. Because he believes what he’s saying now, even if he’s only saying it for Reggie’s sake, and he wishes he had two weeks ago.

He can only hope that Luke will still take him back.

“What if we’re not, though?” Reggie says. “What if it’ll be different forever now, because we —” He gestures between them. 

That’s the crux of the whole thing, isn’t it? But the turning point has already passed. Things are already different. He can’t unknow the shape of Luke’s body or the taste of Reggie’s mouth. To be honest, Alex is wondering the same thing, and he’s just as fearful of it as Reggie is. But he has to be certain it’ll turn out okay, for Reggie’s sake and his own.

“It’ll be okay.” He takes Reggie’s hands and squeezes, rubbing his thumb soothingly over his skin. “Bobby’s gonna take him to the studio, and then we’ll go and talk to him tomorrow, okay?”

Reggie searches his eyes, and whatever he finds there is enough to convince him. He nods and squeezes Alex’s hands back. “Okay.”

“Good.” Alex smiles. “You wanna go home?”

“Yes,” Reggie says decisively, and Alex laughs as he lets go of his hands and turns to head out.

They had carpooled to get here, and though their ride is now gone, both their houses are still within reasonable walking distance. It’ll probably be good to stretch their legs, anyway.

The walk home is quiet and dark, the two boys alone on the road in the early morning. They walk next to each other, sometimes getting a little too close and brushing hands. Alex tries to quell his racing mind and only nominally succeeds.

A block or two away from his house, Reggie asks, “Are you okay?” 

Alex gives him a questioning look. “Yeah?”

“Just cause I know you tend to get in your head about stuff like this,” Reggie rushes to explain. “I probably should’ve been the one comforting you earlier, not the other way around. Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Alex says. “I’m… fine.” He shrugs. “I probably won’t get enough sleep tonight, but it’s fine. Having to be there for you actually kind of helped.”   
  


“Really?” Reggie looks doubtful.

“Yeah. You know how, like, you can be way too scared to talk to a stranger on your own, but then once your friend is too scared to talk to someone, you can go ahead and do it for them no problem?”

Reggie nods slowly. “So… I’m like anxiety kryptonite?”

Alex bursts out laughing. He has to stop walking and wipe tears of laughter from his eyes. “Only you, Reggie, only you.”

Reggie grins alongside him, happy to have made his friend laugh. “It’s a perfectly valid metaphor!” He frowns. “Or… wait, would I be the  _ opposite _ of anxiety kryptonite? Cause I’m making you stronger? Or am I making the anxiety  _ weaker…” _ He trails off, lost in thought.

Alex knocks their shoulders together. “It doesn’t matter, I got what you meant.”

Reggie looks up at him. “Well, good.” They grin senselessly at each other.

Alex laughs a little under his breath. “God, I needed that.”

“I’ll be here all week,” Reggie shoots back with accompanying finger guns. “You know where to find me.”

“Yes, I do.” Alex makes a grand gesture towards his house, which they’ve just stopped in front of. 

“Oh, would you look at that,” Reggie says, deadpan. He sighs and turns to Alex. “Well, I guess this is where I say goodbye.”

“Guess so.” They stand there for a moment, neither one wanting to leave yet.

“It was good.” Reggie blurts out. “Tonight. Tonight was good. Except for the end.”

“Yeah, it was,” Alex agrees. “Very good. Except for the end.”

Reggie’s eyes might flick down to Alex’s lips, and Alex’s eyes might do the same, but it’s hard to tell. It’s dark out.

“See you tomorrow?” Alex croaks out.

Reggie nods. “See you tomorrow.” He rocks back and forth, seemingly uncertain about something, and then suddenly steps forward and wraps Alex in a hug.

Alex hugs back after a second, surprised. It’s only a little weird to be close to Reggie after being so close to him in a different way earlier. It’s still his best friend, after all, and it’s not like he’s never hugged his best friend before. He just doesn’t do it often.

Reggie clings to him and Alex rubs his back in a way that he hopes is soothing and resolutely does  _ not _ think about how his hand was on this same patch of skin earlier and how he now has some… more intimate knowledge about his best friend. Reggie’s cold nose nudges the crook of his neck, and his breath fans across his sensitive skin, giving him goosebumps. Alex gives him one last squeeze and then steps back from the hug. 

“See you tomorrow,” he says one last time, and then turns and starts walking towards his own house.

-

When Alex comes to the studio the next morning, he is not well-rested. He hadn’t been able to get to sleep, unable to stop running through scenarios of how this conversation might go down. What if Luke rejects him? What if Luke hates him and wants to leave the band? What if Alex read it all wrong and he actually likes Reggie instead of him? What if Reggie doesn’t like him, or doesn’t like Luke, or doesn’t like either of them, or actually likes  _ Bobby _ and Alex will end up lonely and jealous and the band breaks up and they’ll just become four sad has-beens? 

_ Okay, deep breath.  _ Alex reminds himself.  _ Breathe. None of that is going to happen. They’re your friends. They’re not going to abandon you. Everything will be okay. _

When Alex arrives at the studio, he waits outside for a minute, psyching himself up. It’s safe to assume Luke and Bobby spent the night here and are already inside, just waiting for him to show up. Alex paces back and forth, carefully out of sight of the garage windows. He’s had all night to think of what to do here, what to say, and he doesn’t have a script, but he has a goal in mind. 

Now, just to figure out how to get there… 

“Practicing our model strut, are we?” Reggie walks towards him, hands in his pockets and a friendly smile on his face.

“I feel like this is completely justified,” Alex replies. 

Reggie shrugs. “Yeah, I guess if there was ever a time to be on the runway, it’s when you’re trying to get your ex-boyfriend back.”

Alex gives him a tight smile and keeps pacing. He’s too stressed to banter with Reggie, and Reggie’s own (albeit unknowing) involvement in his plan isn’t helping. The boy in question stands there for a few minutes and just watches Alex pace, not pushing him to do anything. 

Alex appreciates it, but as the minutes wear on, he becomes increasingly certain that it’s just because he’s too scared to do anything himself, so he walks one more length of the driveway and then turns on his heel and declares, “Alright. We’re going in.”

Reggie startles. “Huh?”

“Your anxiety kryptonite powers are working,” Alex tells him.

Reggie laughs nervously and follows Alex to the door. Without letting himself overthink it too much, he swings it open and strides in.

Luke and Bobby are sitting on the couch, currently folded out into a bed. Looks like Alex was right about them staying over. Luke is writing in his notebook and Bobby is on his phone. They both look up as the other half of the band walks in. 

Bobby smiles at them, trying to put them at ease, but it’s offset by the way Luke immediately looks back down at his notebook, scribbling something out aggressively.

“Hey, guys,” Bobby says.

“Hey,” Alex and Reggie chorus back. 

They all stand around for an awkward moment, everyone waiting for someone else to break the silence.

Bobby stands up. “Alright, you guys need to talk. I’ll be in the house if you need me,” he says, making a swift exit.

Left alone, the boys look at each other uncertainly. Alex gulps and moves to sit next to Luke on the bed. Luke carefully doesn’t move an inch. Reggie stays by the door.

“Luke,” Alex begins. He still doesn’t look at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you last night.”

“What  _ did _ you mean to do?” Luke doesn’t fully turn to face him, but his eyes dart in his direction.

“I…” What can he say that won’t make him sound like an asshole? Alex flounders for a moment. “Have… fun?” He winces.

Luke scoffs. “Yeah, you looked like you were having fun.”

Alex grimaces. “Look, I’m sorry.” He reaches out as if to take his hand, but stops and drops his hand on the blanket halfway there. “I was wrong. About breaking up, about last night, all of it. I was being stupid, and I’m really,  _ really, _ sorry.”

Luke quietly takes in his apology. “You  _ were _ being stupid.”

Alex huffs out a relieved laugh. “Yeah, I was.” He scoots closer to Luke. “I shouldn’t have broken up with you, Luke. I was just… scared, I guess. Inter-band relationships never end well, you know? I was just trying to…”

“To end it yourself before you could get hurt,” Luke finishes for him. “You ever think that maybe having two exes in a band would be worse than two people in love?”

Alex flushes. “I guess I didn’t really think that part through,” he admits. “But… we could still be two people in a band in love?” He doesn’t dare look at Luke, and his eyes land on Reggie, still standing, pale, by the door. A calloused hand lands on his, and he turns to see Luke looking at him with a growing smile on his face and warmth in his eyes. 

“We can _ definitely _ still be two people in a band in love,” he says, and then leans in for a kiss. Alex meets him with a smile, savoring this gentle touch. He’s missed this, the casual intimacy, the care with which Luke holds him, the delightfully slow slide of lips against lips, in no hurry. Just enjoying each other’s presence. They break the kiss slowly and rest their foreheads together, happy to be together again.

Reggie clears his throat.

“So, uh, glad to see you guys are back together, so happy for you both, I think I’ll just go and let you two —”

“You’re not leaving, Reg,” Alex says, his tone holding no room for argument. Reggie freezes. His eyes dart between them. Alex pats the bed next to him. “Come sit.” Reggie stays there for a second, disbelieving, and then Alex quirks an eyebrow and he rushes over, sitting down in a frantic pile of limbs.

Alex glances back at Luke to gauge how he’s feeling. He seems apprehensive, but not in a bad way, so Alex squeezes his hand reassuringly and turns back to Reggie.

“Reg, I think —” He starts.

“You said last night was a mistake,” Reggie blurts out. 

“What?” Alex says, taken aback. “I said it was good except for the end, remember?”

Reggie shakes his head. “No, a minute ago. You said you were wrong about last night.”

“Oh.” Alex understands now. “I just meant because I was a hypocrite, kissing you when I broke up with Luke ‘for the band.’” He rolls his eyes.

“Oh, okay.” Reggie nods. His brow creases. “Wait, then what’s happening now?”

“What’s happening now is…” Alex lets out a long breath. The nerves were starting to make a comeback. “I liked last night, Reggie. I liked it a lot. More than I expected to like kissing my best friend.” Reggie nods, a confused but guarded look on his face. Alex turns to Luke. “I love you, Luke. But… I think I might like Reggie too?” Alex ignores Reggie’s squeak behind him, keeping his eyes trained on his boyfriend’s face.

Luke only looks unsure for a second before a grin starts to take over his face. “We’ve all been best friends for how many years and it took us this long to get here?” He shakes his head. “I’d be lying if that kiss last night didn’t make me realize some things.”

Alex grins, relieved. “Oh? Like what things?” 

“Like you and Reggie are really hot,” Luke replies candidly. Reggie makes a strangled noise again. Alex turns to face him and lets his eyes wander appreciatively, taking in his pink cheeks, flustered expression, and kissable lips. He knows how those lips feel on his. He can’t wait to feel it again.

“I can’t argue with that, Luke. Reggie  _ is _ really hot,” Alex agrees with a satisfied smirk at how red his friend’s face is getting. 

Luke comes up behind him and rests his chin on Alex’s shoulder. “I gotta say, Lex, I would love to see it again.” Alex shivers at the way Luke’s breath ghosts over his skin. 

“Well, then.” He locks eyes with Reggie, asking him a silent question. The boy leans closer to him, like a wilted flower towards the sun. “If that’s what you want.”

He curls his hand around Reggie’s neck and pulls him in, their mouths crashing together. This kiss is passionate, fueled by the exhilaration of knowing Luke is watching and the relief of having permission. Reggie opens his mouth almost immediately, tongue curling around Alex’s and exploring his mouth. He sneaks a hand up into his hair and holds on tight, anchoring himself to him. 

The two part, Reggie’s eyes quickly finding Luke’s over Alex’s shoulder. “Luke,” he says hoarsely. 

Luke swallows and pulls him in, and suddenly they’re kissing over Alex’s shoulder, sending a shock of heat southward in his body. He had hardly dared to hope this would happen, and now he’s getting a front row seat to his best friend and boyfriend’s make out session. He can feel the solid heat of their bodies on either side of him, Luke squirming around impatiently behind him. Alex suppresses a smile.  _ He never could stay still,  _ he thinks fondly. He rests his hands on Reggie’s hips and watches the two of them go at it, the kiss slowing down after a little while, softer but just as intense.

When they break apart, Alex swallows and says, “Now  _ that _ was hot.” They both look at him, smiling.

Luke kisses him briefly. “Thanks, babe.” Maybe he’s imagining it, but he can almost taste Reggie on Luke’s lips. The thought is hotter than he expected it to be.

“Reggie,” Alex starts. “Do you wanna be our boyfriend?”

“Yes!” He exclaims, like he’d just been waiting to be asked. “Yes, of course. You guys are the most important thing in the world to me.”

“You guys are the most important thing to me, too,” Luke says. “You and the band. And you  _ are _ the band, so…”

“Aww, babe, you love us,” Alex coos. “I love you, too. Both of you,” he adds, gaze sliding to Reggie.

His new boyfriend just smiles and kisses him again. 

A little while later, they’ve resituated themselves on the fold-out bed for optimal cuddles. Alex is in the middle, Luke and Reggie’s heads resting on his chest and his arms around them. 

“So, Reg, how did you know you liked us?” Luke asks mischievously. Alex perks his head up, interested in the answer.

“Well, I always thought you were hot,” he says casually. Alex chokes. “But I guess I didn’t really realize until last night, when you kissed me.” His brow furrows. “Looking back on it, I think I was kind of jealous when you got together? Like, at the time, I thought I just didn’t like it because it changed the group dynamic and you got to hang out more, but I guess I was just jealous I wasn’t included.”

Alex holds him tighter and drops a kiss on the top of his head. “Well, we’re including you now, baby.”

Luke gives him a peck on his nose, then his cheek, then his lips. “No getting away from us now, you’re part of this.”

Reggie hums, pleased. “Good.” He snuggles closer into their embrace, closing his eyes contentedly.

Luke breaks the quiet atmosphere a minute later. “Wait, so did we all realize we liked each other last night because of that dare?”

Alex laughs. “I guess so.”

“Damn, we gotta give whoever dared you a thank you card or something,” Reggie jokes. 

Alex sighs. “It’s too bad I have absolutely no idea who it was.”

Luke pouts. “So we can’t even thank our perfect matchmaker?”

Alex tries to shrug unsuccessfully with the weight of both of his boyfriends on top of him. “Guess not. Also, can we go back to you always thinking we were hot?” 

“Yeah, I’d love to hear more about that,” Luke adds.

Reggie blushes at their expectant stares. “Well, not  _ always, _ I mean, not when we were kids, that would be weird,” he stammers. “But since around when high school started?” That makes sense. Alex clearly remembers that one summer when Luke had gone away to summer camp for a month and a half and come back tanned and taller and with a penchant for sleeveless shirts that had done his newly-filled out biceps many favors. That had been a significant part of his gay awakening. 

“But it’s really not a big deal guys,” Reggie laughs nervously. “Everyone thinks about kissing their friends sometimes.”

“I don’t think they do, Reg,” Alex says doubtfully. 

“I was just wondering what it would be like to kiss a boy! And you guys are hot,” Reggie rushes to explain. “So I… thought about it sometimes…” He trails off, realizing the hole he’d dug himself in.

Luke chuckles. “It’s okay, Reg. We think you’re hot too.” He kisses him sweetly as proof, Alex rubbing comforting circles on both their backs. 

“Wait, Reg,” he says as something occurs to him. “Was I the first guy you kissed?”

Reggie looks up at him. “Yeah.”

“Aww,” Luke coos obnoxiously. Alex shoves his hand into his face, trying to get him to shut up. Luke licks his hand, and asks in the same tone of voice over Alex’s disgusted shouts, “Was it everything you dreamed of?”

“Better,” Reggie says, not an ounce of insincerity in his voice. “Way better, since I’m dating both of you now.”

“Oh,” Luke says, taken aback by the earnest affection. His mouth works for a moment, but it seems he’s been rendered speechless simply by his boyfriend being sappy.

“You guys are hopeless,” Alex says fondly, his smile leaking through his voice.

“ _ We’re _ hopeless?” Luke exclaims. “ _ We’re  _ hopeless?!  _ You’re _ hopeless, mister ‘break-up-with-your-boyfriend-for-no-reason-and-then-catch-feelings-for-our-best-friend!’  _ We’re _ hopeless,” he repeats under his breath, shaking his head.

Laughing, Alex cups Luke’s cheek in his hand and kisses him gently, cutting off his grumbling. “Love you, baby.”

“Love you too,” Luke murmurs against his lips. He waves his hand around behind him, searching blindly for Reggie, and pulls him into their little huddle. “Love you too, Reg,” he says, littering his face with kisses. 

“Love you,” Alex echoes, pecking his cheek.

“Love you,” Reggie repeats breathlessly. He turns his face to Alex’s, capturing his lips sweetly, then does the same to Luke. Then he curls back into Alex’s chest, cuddling him close and burrowing into his warmth. His eyes close, reminding Alex of those pictures of kittens sleeping in blankets wrapped up like burritos. “We’re cuddling now,” he declares, slightly muffled by Alex’s hoodie. 

Alex laughs and shares an enamored look with Luke. He’s pretty sure they’re both thinking,  _ holy shit he’s so cute, this is the best thing that could’ve happened today. _ He makes himself comfortable as his boyfriend lays a blanket across all of them. “Did Bobby say when he’s coming back?” Alex thinks to ask.

“Don’t think so,” Luke says. “Just that he’ll be in the house if we need him.”

“So he’s probably just gonna leave us out here for a few hours at least?”

“Probably.”

“So… naptime?” Alex asks.

Luke nods. “Naptime.” 

“Naptime,” Reggie mumbles. It seems he’s already halfway asleep. 

Alex closes his eyes and settles in for the long run. After all the drama and tension of the night before, he had had a lot of anxiety about today. There were a lot of ways it could have turned out, a lot of ways it could have gone wrong, but this ending? He wouldn’t trade this for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact: this fic is actually the most kissing i've ever written. because of that i wasn't really sure whether i should rate this T or M. i went with T, but if you think i should change it, feel free to let me know. i think it's fine? i think my opinion is biased bc there's a lot of more mature outtakes because i couldn't figure out how to end it so i just kept writing different beginnings to make out scenes lmao
> 
> this is the first installment in a series! currently in the works are pining bobby angst (bc i can't let sunset curve go without all being part of the polycule), aro bi reggie, and how sunset curve met the girls. let me know if there's anything you want to see in this 'verse! no guarantees on when or if fics will be out, especially since school is starting up soon for me (literally tomorrow lol), but i will do my best.
> 
> talk to me on tumblr: aroacethetic-shitpost


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